The post of opposition leader in the Senate was declared vacant on Friday after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shibli Faraz was de-notified from his position following his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
According to a notification issued by the Senate Secretariat, Faraz’s disqualification is effective from August 5, 2025, resulting in the loss of both his Senate membership and his position as leader of the opposition in the upper house.
The ECP disqualified Faraz under Article 63 of the Constitution and formally terminated his parliamentary membership. His removal from the opposition leader’s post came after the Senate Secretariat acted on the ECP’s decision.
Earlier, the National Assembly Secretariat also declared the opposition leader’s seat in the lower house vacant, following the disqualification of PTI’s Omar Ayub.
Both developments stem from verdicts handed down by an anti-terrorism court in cases related to the May 9 incidents, which led the ECP to bar nine parliamentarians from holding office.
With these changes, both the Senate and the National Assembly are now without opposition leaders — a rare occurrence in Pakistan’s parliamentary history.
